…Decries uncompromising clash of party stakeholders

By Chioma Onuegbu & Harris Emmanuel

Uyo-A governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Professor Christopher Ekong, yesterday said he accepts the result that declared Mr. Akan Udofia winner of the primary in the state.

Ekong who made this known yesterday in Uyo during a media briefing, said that as a critical participant in the governorship race, his ultimate interest was to emerge as the most preferred and acceptable choice of APC in the state.

He added that he did not participate in the race to be easily compromised or at any rate, allow himself or the fate of other compatriots in that race to either be defrauded or shortchanged in a race to offer the best leadership and governance solutions to the state.

He stressed that in true spirit of sportsmanship, he appreciated and accepted the position and decision of the party as being sacrosanct and supreme in the concluded exercise which saw Akan Udofia emerge as flagbearer.

His words: ” If one of us had done better, we have the bounden duty to support him in order for us to win the Akwa Ibom State general elections for the first time. Obong Akan Udofia had been declared winner of the APC governorship primary in Akwa Ibom, I had since accepted the result as declared by the party.

“I want to use this opportunity to call on all other aspirants in the race to sheathe their swords and open the doors for reconciliation and healing, to support and work with the flagbearer, Obong Akan Udofia to win the governorship elections come 2023.

“The clearest opportunity open to APC to win elections in Akwa Ibom State is now. So every obstacle on our road and quest to realize this must be avoided.

“We must accept the choice of the people and that of the party as a sacrosanct mandate that should be allowed to rule the day. This is the greatest price and respect we can pay to building our democracy.

“But in a most unremarkable sense, though not entirely too surprising, incidents that have since gained momentum after this epochal exercise have left us with more than what ought to be desired”

The professor of Economics in University of Uyo(UNIUYO), expressed sadness that a fair segment of party men and compatriots have so far reflected an unimaginable proportion of needless grievances by electing to voice their perceived rejection of the result and outcome of that free and considerably fair rated exercise.

He said initially he was convinced to join in the protestation against Udofia’s late entry into the race until he went through the constitution of the party and realized that in line with the powers of the APC as stipulated in Article 31(2) of the Constitution (as amended), he (Udofia) applied for and was duly granted a waiver to contest the primary election, as conveyed by the National Working Committee.

“The protest convention always aimed at weakening our party prior to elections must in this consideration be stoutly resisted by all devoted members of our great All Progressives Congress (APC), in Akwa Ibom State.

” The APC Akwa Ibom State since 2015 has suffered several bouts of self inflicted loses at the polls. The Party however has been very clear on how the decision and process to throw up candidates for election is made.

“All the aspirants that participated in the election process of the party had long known of these processes. It is always disappointing that the people that know the processes of the party and have benefitted variously are the ones that create the most problems of the APC.

“The uncompromising clash of the beneficiary stakeholders had over the years robbed the party of success at the polls in the State and had totally weakened the party’s ability to help maintain her teeming members, supporters and admirers in the State who always bear the brunt of these stakeholders covetous attitude”, Ekong noted.